Chief feature writer Paddy Shennan reports on a gruelling, life-changing experience for a group of young Liverpool men – which has finally made it onto TV

IT’S been quite a journey for the Liverpool lads who picked up a gauntlet thrown down by five-times Olympic gold medallist Sir Steve Redgrave.

Not least the journey to get on TV.

Redgrave’s Raw Recruits – in which eight rookie rowers were eventually selected to race at the Henley Royal Regatta – was initially due to be screened over four weeks on ITV1 in late 2006.

It’s now finally being shown in two parts, tomorrow and next Thursday. On ITV4.

But despite its belated and low-key appearance, some of those who took part have hailed it as a life-changing experience.

Sir Steve Redgrave, himself, tells the ECHO: “It’s a very positive programme. We live in an era of a lot of so-called reality TV – but this is more real than a lot of shows. It’s not make-believe and there weren’t all sorts of different freaks being brought in, so the delay has been very disappointing. But I’m pleased it’s eventually going to be seen.”

Sir Steve made appeals in the ECHO and at half time at Anfield in November 2005 for potential rowers to come forward, and around 300 attended fitness tests before being whittled down to 40.

It was suspected that the programme of the recruits’ gruelling seven month journey, was shelved because Sir Steve’s team – which trained at Liverpool Victoria Rowing Club in Wallasey – ended up narrowly missing out on qualifying for Henley, but an ITV spokeswoman insists: “There was no specific reason.”

Abraham Altairy, 21, from Toxteth, and Luke McMurray, 26, from Walton, who work together as joiners at Luke’s dad’s firm in Liverpool, SJ Solutions, can’t speak highly enough of their rowing adventure.

Abraham says: “I got loads of self-discipline from the experience and it’s put me on the right path. If I’d dropped out I’d have been back to square one – on the dole.

“At the start, it was all about being on the telly but as it got more serious the only important thing was getting into the final eight. I wanted to make my ma proud of me and I think I did.”

As for Sir Steve Redgrave, he says: “You looked at him and thought ‘He’s a posh bloke and Olympic medallist’ and so when you talked to him you didn’t want to act like a scally. You wanted to impress him.”

An equally-enthusiastic Luke McMurray says: “It was the best time of my life. It definitely changed me as a person. I was a bit of a clown at first but I was the oldest and felt that people looked up to me. That gave me more self-respect and belief in myself.

“I was getting praise from the coaches and I felt appreciated. We were like a big family and a lot of us have kept in touch.”

There are many other success stories from the group and they include Ste Callaghan, 21, from Maghull, who was doing a degree in computing at Liverpool John Moores University when he signed up for the show – now he’s doing a similar degree at Oxford Brookes University, to enable him to continue his rowing.

For two years running, he’s made the semi-finals at Henley and he says: “The programme was an amazing experience and I made some really good mates. I wouldn’t say it changed my life, but it is different now. I definitely wouldn’t have taken up rowing if I hadn’t been on it.”

The experience was cut short for one promising recruit – Michael Hornby from Old Swan – when, nearly four months into the process and after he’d made it into the final 20, he was locked up.

In March, 2006, despite a glowing reference from Sir Steve Redgrave, he was sentenced by a judge at Liverpool crown court to 10 months’ detention for his part in a street fight two years earlier.

Michael, who helped rescue a fellow crew member when his feet became trapped under water after their four-man boat capsized, had been charged with assault causing actual bodily harm and convicted after a trial.

He says today: “I was proper gutted at the time. I had been doing really well and, because of all the teamwork involved, it was making me a more determined person.”

Michael, who boxes at Shea Neary’s Shamrock gym in Old Swan, has since done bar work abroad and returned to his former trade as a roofer.

He adds: “I’m now looking forward to going to college in September to do a bricklaying course.”

Sir Steve adds: “Every guy that took part in the project is a winner, not just the eight that raced in the qualifiers at Henley.

“The stuff that these boys have learnt and have been a part of will be with them for the rest of their lives.”